Korean War Began on June 25, 1950

On June 25, 1950, about 100,000 North Korean troops crossed the 38th parallel and invaded South Korea, marking the official start of the Korean War. The three‑year conflict became one of the earliest and bloodiest confrontations of the Cold War, drawing in 19 countries. United Nations forces led by the United States supported South Korea, while China and the Soviet Union backed the North.

Despite extensive advances by both sides, neither achieved a decisive victory. An armistice was signed in 1953, ending active fighting. Estimates place the death toll at around three million, and the Korean Peninsula remains divided into North and South Korea to this day.